Rosa, R., Seibel, B.A. 2010. Slow pace of life of the Antarctic colossal squid. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. In press

The Antarctic colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is the world's largest invertebrate and its large size and some unique morphological characters have fueled speculation that it is an aggressive top predator in the circumantarctic Southern Ocean. We present the first estimates on the metabolic and energetic demands of this cold-water deep-sea giant and argue that the it is not a voracious predator capable of high-speed predator-prey interactions. It is, rather, an ambush or sit-and-float predator that uses the hooks on its arms and tentacles to ensnare prey that unwittingly approach.

Our study showed, for the first time, the potential synergistic impact of ocean acidification, warming and expanding hypoxia in the metabolic physiology and vertical ecology of a top oceanic predator, namely the jumbo squid.